Wire-stretcher



"(No Model.)

W Q. P'REWITT. WIRE STRETGHER.

No. 507,452. Patented Got. 24, 1893.

WWI wows V I a'vvuo/wko c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMQ. PREWITT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 507,452, datedOctober 24, 1893.

Application filed February 4, 1893. Serial No. 460,971. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Q. PREWITT, acitizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved reel or spoolstretcher for wire fences and devices'for winding and locking said reelor spool.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments of myimprovements, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the spool. Fig. 2illustrates an end view of the spool and look as it appears on a fencepost. Fig. 3 illustrates, in side elevation, one form of my windingdevice. Fig. 4 illustrates another form of the winding device; and Fig.5 illustrates the key to prevent the spool from unwinding when on thepost.

1 designates the barrel of the spool which will preferably be of +-formin cross section and have one of its webs provided with a hole 2 throughwhich the wire to be wound or tightened is passed.

3 designates the heads of the spool. On these heads are formedprojections that have square ends 4 and a polygonal groove 5 to receivea lock 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The lock has a square recess 7 thatfits in the groove so as to prevent the rotation of the spool thereinwhile the arm 8 abuts against the post to prevent the rotation of thespool when subjected to the tension of the wire. The square ends 4receive the wrenches of my improved winding device,such as shown inFigs. 3 and 4.

The winding device shown in Fig. 3 comprises a yoke or frame 10 made oftwo parts adjustable toward or from each other by means of a screw 11.One of the parts of the yoke may have a guide pin 9 that passes througha hole in the opposite part of the yoke so as to hold said parts in thesame plane. In the ends of the yokes are formed bearings 12 to receivethe shanks 13 of the wrenches. A head 14 having a square socket to fiton the square end or the wire-tightening spool and a crank handle 15 areformed at opposite ends of the shank 13. A slit 16 in the bearing, ofsuch size as to receive the crank handle 15 permits the shank of thewrench to be seated in said bearing, as shown, so that the wrench may beturned. When the winding device is thus constructed the parts of theyoke are separated by turning the screw so as to permit the sockets inthe wrench to be placed opposite the square ends of the spool afterwhich a slight returning of the screw will secure the winding device inproper position.

In Fig. 4 the yoke is made in one piece and one of the bearings isformed as a hollow screw 17 which receives the spindle 18 of a socketedhead. The end of the spindle or shaft 18 is threaded or otherwiseconstructed to receive removably a crank whereby the socketed head maybe turned.

In operating my invention, the spool is first put in the winding deviceand the wire tightened or wound upon the spool. The lock or key is thenplaced in the groove on the spool and in position against the post tohold it from rotation. After having done this, the winding device isremoved. The sockets of the wrenches are shallow enough to permit theplacing of the lock on the spool while the latter is still in thewinding apparatus.

' What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A wire tightener comprising, to Wit, a spool having on its head aprojection constructed to be removably engaged by a turning wrench andalso provided with a groove extending polygonally around the spool, anda locking key having a portion constructed with complementary surfacesto engage the groove so as non-rotatably to embrace the spool andanother part to abut against an obstruction whereby the spool may beheld from rotation, substantially as described.

2. A device for winding wire tightening spools comprising, to wit, ayoke having bearings 12 12 arranged and adjustable in the samestraightline, one of said bearings being slitted moved from the windingdevice, substan in substantially the direction of said line, a tially asdescribed. I head 14 jonrnaled in one of said bear-in gs and Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in constructed to engage one endof the spool presence of two witnesses.

5 and having a lateral projection or handle on WILLIAM Q. PREWITT.

the outer part of its (the head) shank con- Witnesses: structed to passthrough the aforesaid slit, CHAS. L. WATSON,

whereby the spool may be rotated and re- CHARLES E. PITCHER.

